Belle Spirale Dance Projects' KIN navigates intergenerational memory at the STAND Festival, November 2

Piece directed by Alexis Fletcher highlights the partnerwork and emotion of Brazilian dancers Juan Duarte and Lazaro Silva

Lazaro Silva. Photo by Michael Slobodian

Blackout Art Society presents a work-in-progress version of Belle Spirale Dance Projects’ KIN on November 2 from 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm at the Scotiabank Dance Centre, as part of the STAND Festival

BRAZILIAN DANCERS Juan Duarte and Lazaro Silva navigate themes of belonging and intergenerational memory in a first look at KIN, Belle Spirale Dance Projects’ newest work in progress directed and envisioned by Alexis Fletcher.

KIN is an emotional reflection fortified by Duarte and Silva’s kinship and partnerwork, incorporating text and layers of collected images in a whirlwind of multimedia exploration. Dramaturgy, rehearsal direction, and sound design for the piece are by Sylvain Senez, who’s co-artistic director of Belle Spirale Dance Projects alongside Fletcher.

Duarte, a graduate of Moscow, Russia’s prestigious Bolshoi Ballet School, has danced with the likes of Lamondance, Arts Umbrella, and Ballet BC since moving to Vancouver in 2015. Lazaro’s career led him to train under Lamondance as well, after studying in Brazil at Ballet Célia Duarte. Both dancers are now training with Belle Spirale Dance Projects throughout the 2023-24 season, in preparation for KIN’s development into a full-length piece.

Belle Spirale Dance Projects creates cross-disciplinary contemporary dance works driven by thoughtful, poetic backing forces. Take 2022’s ‎همه هستی من آیه تاریکیست | All my being is a dark verse, a collaboration with Arash Khakpour, for example—inspired by the powerful work of Persian poet Forugh Farrokhzad, the storyline transcended culture and generations in its premiere at the Chutzpah! Festival.

The performance of KIN, presented by Blackout Art Society at the third annual STAND Festival, is followed by an artist talkback where audiences can learn more about the piece’s development.

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Emily Lyth

Emily Lyth is a Vancouver-based writer and editor who graduated from Langara College’s Journalism program. Her decade of dance training and passion for all things food-related are the foundation of her love for telling arts, culture, and community stories.

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